Composition assembly comprising constructional elements of plastic material for making free scheme compositions

ABSTRACT

A composition assembly, comprising constructional elements for forming toys, educational games, articles for window dressing, furnishings and decoration; some of said elements are rigid, some are flexible and cuttable, shaped as sheets or tridimensional bodies, having protruding peg-and-socket members, and/or hollows and/or holes to interengage each other. Said constructional elements are removably or fixedly composable by nesting one or more of said members on an element in corresponding hollows or holes on another element, or on the same element.

United States Patent [191 Fabre COMPOSITION ASSEMBLY COMPRISINGCONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL FOR MAKING FREE SCHEMECOMPOSITIONS [76] Inventor: Carlo Fabre, via Pergolesi, 6,

Florence, Italy 22 Filed: Sept. 4, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 393,706

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 194,337, Nov.1, 1971,

abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 16, 1970 Italy 9378/70 May25, 1971 Italy 9525/71 [52] US. Cl 46/30; 46/25 [51] Int. Cl A63h 33/06[58] Field of Search 46/25, 28, 30; 220/23.4;

[451 July 22,1975

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,302,854 2/1967 Midgley etal. 229/43 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Norman S. Blodgett; Gerry A. Blodgett [57] ABSTRACT A compositionassembly, comprising constructional elements for forming toys,educational games, articles for window dressing, furnishings anddecoration; some of said elements are rigid, some are flexible andcuttable, shaped as sheets or tridimensional bodies, having protrudingpeg-and-socket members, and/or hollows and/or holes to interengage eachother. Said constructional elements are removably or fixedly composableby nesting one or more of said members on an element in correspondinghollows or holes on another element, or on the same element.

1 Claim, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 22 ms SHEET K I 'I I A AIIORNEYPATENTEDJUL22 ms SHEET 3 3, 895,455

COMPOSITION ASSEMBLY COMPRISING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF PLASTICMATERIAL FOR MAKING FREE SCHEME COMPOSITIONS This is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 194,337 filed Nov. 1, 1971, now abandoned.

It is well known that educational toys, which are referred to asconstructional toys contemplate the use of rigid tridimensional anddifferently combined elements, but developing in the three orthogonaldirections exclusively. This feature mainly causes a restriction in aplayers imagination and is an obligation to make exclusively simplemodels. Also the toys known under the trade Mark MECCANO allow thecomposition only of models for standard machines and devices, whereinthe arrangement and size of the elements are compulsory andpredetermined.

Further, also the several teaching aidsin use at present in schoolseither employ finished models, or have elements at their disposal to becombined according to compulsory and predetermined forms.

The present invention is concerned with a composition assemblycomprising constructional elements for forming toys, educational games,articles for .window dressing, furnishings and decoration and the like,characterized in that said elements are provided at at least a surfaceportion thereof with pins or peg-and-socket members generally projectingin a direction at right angles to the surface, and/or correspondingcavities and- /or holes for accomodating and engaging said member, theresulting elements being therefore composable and- /or conformableaccording to a free scheme by mutual engagements as accomplished byinserting the members for one element into the cavities or holes ofanother element or the same element.

In a first embodiment said elements are provided as thin flexiblesheets, whereby a free scheme composition in space for tridimensionalfigures can be carried out. Other embodiments provide rigid or flexiblebearing element of a generally flat configuration, or flat surfaces, ormixed and curved surfaces, in any case capable of being interconnectedby releasable male and female couplings; and also provide linked joiningelements between said elements, such as hinge-like elements.

Finally, the constructional elements according to the inventionconstitute a low cost product, manufacturable on an industrial scale bysimple molding operations and ordinary plastic material processingmachines, thus attaining a high output.

These and other features of the invention will-become more apparent fromthe following description with reference to the appended drawings,schematically showing some preferred embodiments of the invention, butgiven only by way of not limiting example.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of one type of constructionalelement;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a member having a sphericalcap;

FIG. 4 is a top view for a portion of a constructional element as inFIG. 1, bent as a hexagonal base solid;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing three partially overlying portions of aconstructional element and having therein one or more nested members.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary composition for three portions ofconstructional elements, such portions being coupled to one another andone of the portions being suitably bent;

FIG. 7 is anaxonometrical view showing a part of another type ofcostructional element;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view according to 8-8 of the element in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another type of element having mixed (orflat and curved) surface sides;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the element in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view along a hinge element.

In its essential structure, the assembly or game according to theinvention comprises a number of elements equal to or different'from oneanother, these elements carrying pins or peg-and-socket members 2, and-/or hollows 3, and/or holes 11, so as to be nested together by fixedlyor removably inserting the members 2 into the hollows 3 or holes 11.

The element 10, as shown in FIG. 1 and 2, comprises a sheet or flat base1 which is sometimes partially rigid, but preferably flexible, having alarge amount of equal protrusions or members 2, arranged on the sameside of sheet 1 and juxtaposed according to a plurality of parallelequispaced rows in the two orthogonal directions. Said members 2 arehollow, preferably of a right circular frusto-conical shape; the minorbase can be closed by a flat or curved wall 2', whereas the major baselying on the plane of said sheet 1 is open.

These members cuncurrently accomplish the function of male joint elementas far as the outer surface thereof is concerned, and the function ofafemale joint element as to the inner surface thereof. The external sidesurface of each frusto-conical member 2 may also have a small toricmolding or hollow annular rib 5 defining at the inner member surface acorresponding annular groove 5 for snap engaging a rib 5 of any member 2coupled with the preceding member, this allowing to convenientlyincrease the contact surface and grip and thus the resistance againsjoint unthreading.

The approach as carried out by the constructional element in. FIGS. 1and 2 is applicable also to member shapes other than the frusto-conicalshape, such as, for example, that shown in FIG. 3, wherein the membersurface is substantially as a spherical cap 13, at the base of which anannular step or shoulder 4 is formed facing the interior in order toprovide a retaining effect. This step 4 is slightly more raised withrespect to the surface of sheet 1 of the constructional element that thethickness of said sheet 1.

From the particular configuration for the type of constructional elementas above described and nature of the material being used, also furtherside advantages will result. There should be mentioned among these thepossibility of piling up many constructional elements having the sameshape and size so as to obtain a very small oversize packing.

Moreover, because of the reduced thickness of the constructional elementdescribed in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be extremely light-weight even forlarge dimensions whatever its configuration is. At the same time, theparticular configuration of its cross-section and whatever is thegeometrical shape selected for the members, will give the constructionalelement a high mechanical resistance or strength so as to enable toprovide structures of any desired shape and dimensions, but alwaysextremely sturdy and light-weight.

To this purpose, FIGS. 4, and 6 show several forms of combinations forflexible elements for example, the configuration in FIG. 4 is providedby cutting out a strip from an element 10 and then wrapping it onitself, the configuration in FIG. 5 is provided by overlying andinterconnecting a plurality of flat elements, and the configuration onFIG. 6 is provided by interconnecting and bending a plurality ofelements.

Other elements are provided, such as element in FIGS. 7 and 8 to beemployed in association with or independently of said elements 10.

This element 20 comprises a rigid or flexible flat base 1', from whichseveral members 2 project on both faces of base I; the members 2 arehollow, that is they have a hollow 3 for accomodating correspondingmembers of further elements. Here again the members 2 are arranged onequispaced parallel rows, and the members on a same row are alternatelyarranged one member on one side, and one member on the other side of thebase 1 thereof. However, it is to be understood that any arrangement,even an irregular arrangement, is possible; for example, only oneportion of a surface of base 1' is provided with members; and further,the members on a same row may be arranged so that two members willproject from one side and a third member from the other side, or in astill different manner.

The members 2 have been shown a-s being cylindrical with a round base,but it is to be understood that the members, cavities and/or holes foraccomodating the same may have any suitable shape, for example as inFIG. 3, or may be slightly tapered with a base section of polygonal ormixtilinear shape.

Complementary constructional elements are also provided for the purposeof supporting and/or connecting one or more of said constructionalelements; these complementary elements are firstly comprised of plateshaving one or more flat, curved or mixed faces; that is to say that theyare in a shape of flat or tridimensional, hollow or partially hollowconfiguration, on the faces of which equal, circular through holes areprovided, each of which being designed to accomodate by a slightresilient forcing a member of one or more constructional elements.

More particularly and by way of example, an element 30 is shown in FIGS.9 and 10, this element being formed as an internally hollow, rightcircular cylinder, on the single base 8 of which and on the outersurface 9 of which a plurality of equal through holes 11 are provided,the diameter of which holes has been conveniently preselected to allowfor the introduction and steady, but releasable coupling of acorresponding member pertaining to a constructional element, whateverare the shape and size thereof and also however is positioned relativeto the element 30 and also whatever its spatial orientation is. It isevident that said complementary elements operative as a base and/orconnection will be in a convenient number and form a series of aplurality of pieces having different shape and dimensions, in order toallow for providing a wide variety of combinations. Particularly, thereare advantageously provided: firstly, flat plates according to the mostcommon flat geometrical figures (such as a circle, triangle, square andother regular polygons); secondly, plates having two or more equal orunequal flat faces, oriented according to some or all the faces of themost common flat face solid geometrical figures (such as'a cube, prism,parallelepiped); finally, mixed surface plates (that is partly flat andpartly curved surface plates) according to the most common mixed surfacesolid geometrical figures (such as a cylinder with one or two bases, afrustrum of cone with one or two bases).

There are still provided complementary elements as cylindrical andspherical hinges designed to re-n der a part of the constructed objectmovable relative to another part. A cylindrical hinge 40 is shown inFIG. 11 comprising two pieces 6 and 7, each of which having'a hollow ora hole of shape and size corresponding to those for the members 2, anddesigned to accomodate and anchor a member for any structure portion.These two pieces 6 and 7 are mutually movably connectable and capable ofmoving about the axis aa by a toric projection 7a of element 7penetrating into an annular groove of element 6; I

-Obviously, the dimensions of each of said elements may vary as desired,within wide ranges, depending on a higher or lower number of engagingparts it is desired to have, the condition being unaltered that thepitch or spacing between two consecutive holes on the same row, eitheron a flat or a curved face, should be the same as that selected for themembers 2 of the constructional elements.

As to the material being used, such a material should be a plasticmaterial, transparent or opaque, colourless or however coloured; thematerial will be of a thin thickness for those elements to be flexible,bendable and cutable as desired, and of an increased thickness or morerigid material for those elements to have some rigidity as desired.

Substantially, the constructive details may vary as to shape,dimensions, arrangement of the elements and nature of the materialsbeing used, without departing for this from the protective scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is: i

l. A toy kit for use in forming various objects, comprising a pluralityof elements of varied sizes and shapes, each element being formedintegrally of a thin, elastomer sheet, a first element formed of a thin,elastomer sheet having a plurality of truncated conical depressions inthe sheet, each depression forming a concavity on one side of the sheetand a convexity of the other side, each depression having a very smallcone angle and having a depth that is at least one-third of the diameterof the depression, and a second element having depressions of identicalshape to those of the first element, the depressions being so shapedthat each is capable of forming a shape-conforming locking relationshipwith any other depression and doing so at separate times.

1. A toy kit for use in forming various objects, comprising a pluralityof elements of varied sizes and shapes, each element being formedintegrally of a thin, elastomer sheet, a first element formed of a thin,elastomer sheet having a plurality of truncated conical depressions inthe sheet, each depression forming a concavity on one side of the sheetand a convexity of the other side, each depression having a very smallcone angle and having a depth that is at least one-third of the diameterof the depression, and a second element having depressions of identicalshape to those of the first element, the depressions being so shapedthat each is capable of forming a shapeconforming locking relationshipwith any other depression and doing so at separate times.